


Misery you Crave

by Queenietae6789



Series: Stung by the Wasp [2]
Category: BLACKPINK (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:07:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24654331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queenietae6789/pseuds/Queenietae6789
Summary: Stung by the Wasp Part 3
Relationships: Taennie - Relationship
Series: Stung by the Wasp [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1714318
Kudos: 7





	1. Run & Hide

The sand crunched between Jennie's toes as she stepped out of Taehyung's flip flops, and she buried them beneath the grit with all the excitement of a child, grinning as a warm breeze whipped up around her bare legs. The waves crashed onto the shore, deafening in nature as the wind picked up, howling around the irritable surf with no remorse. The sun burned into the top of Jennie's scalp, and her skin bristled in the heat. Seagulls squawked above her, and she shielded her eyes from the blinding sunlight as she squinted up at the sky. She skipped down towards the surf, flicking the sand up around her ankles as she moved. As she reached the damp shore, two large arms came round her waist and Taehyung buried his face into the crook of her neck. Jennie giggled.  
"I forgot how happy coming here makes you" he said, taking her hand and marching down the beach alongside her, much to Jennie's delight. Jennie grinned.   
"It's been a long time" she said wistfully.   
The water lapped at her feet as she danced in and out of the spray, and she shrieked when Taehyung hauled her over his shoulder and marched into the waves, smacking her on the ass playfully as he dropped her into the water with a splash. The water was icy and Jennie yelped as the surf crashed into her ankles and up the backs of her legs. She shoved Taehyung in the chest as he smirked down at her, and she couldn't help but smile back, ignoring the chill that shot up her spine as they messed around in the briny. Jennie splashed Taehyung, and shrieked when he returned the favour. She tried to run back to shore but he captured her small frame in his large embrace once again, and Jennie squirmed in his hold. Picking her up he sloshed back into the saline and Jennie yelled when a wave smacked into them, soaking both her and Taehyung from head to toe. Writhing from the cold, Jennie dropped to her feet once again, and when she did, Taehyung pulled her close and kissed her hard on the mouth, corners of his lips breaking out into a grin as she refused to kiss him back. Jennie scrunched her face up as he went in for another kiss and when she didn't comply he tickled her sides.   
"No" she giggled, pushing his hands away gently. Laughing, he planted another salty kiss on her open mouth before taking her hand and returning to shore, his feet leaving heavy footprints in the wet sand as they headed slowly up the beach. Jennie gripped his arm as she found her footing on the uneven surface, eyes glinting off the large white food truck idling on the busy promenade. People milled around them, and using Taehyung as a support she slipped back into his flip flops. Taehyung squeezed the water out of the end of his T-shirt, before casting a glance over at the food truck with a pensive expression.   
"You hungry?" Taehyung asked.  
"Absolutely".

*

Jennie stepped out of the car onto the footpath, the setting sun searing into her skin through her T-shirt. Taehyung rolled down the passenger side window. Jennie leaned in, locking eyes with him as she did so.  
"Don't open the door to anyone" he said. "I'll be back at nine".  
"Sure" she replied, turning and heading towards the apartment building without another word, twirling the keys around between her fingers as she headed towards the entrance, tapping the fob against the keypad before disappearing inside the foyer. 

The lock clicked shut behind her as she stepped into the apartment. Moving to the television she clicked into the YouTube application, and played the first list of songs that came up on screen, desperate to fill the silence. She hated being in the apartment on her own. As dusk fell, she stepped into the shower and created a lather, rinsing the sand and salt off her skin as she did so. Turning off the faucet, the apartment plunged into an eerie stillness once again. Wrapping a towel around herself, she emerged into the bedroom. The muffled sound coming from the television filled her with a fleeting sense of security. She dressed, and moved around to Taehyung's side of the bed, a flash of black at her feet making her crouch to investigate. She pulled the item out from under the bed and a nauseating sense of nostalgia came over her when she copped that it was the same rucksack she had taken from Kai's flat the night of her escape. Flicking on the bedside lamp, she unzipped the back and emptied the contents onto the bed, balking when loose cash fluttered onto the divan. Jennie picked up the wada of cash that still had elastic bands wrapped around them, choosing to count the money whilst she had the chance. Remnants of cocaine lingered between the notes, and swallowing the lump that formed in her throat she brushed the powder off on the side of the bed, before continuing with the task at hand. She had managed to take over one thousand dollars in cash. Holding the money in her hands she couldn't help but feel dirty, the events of that night forever etched into her mind. A loud clanging from down the hall made her heart leap into her mouth and she froze. The clanging came a second time, only louder. Panicked, Jennie stuffed the money back into the rucksack and kicked it under the bed. Bile heaved in her gut as she stood and listened out for a follow up to the noises, her heart hammering against her ribcage as the adrenaline shot up her spine. A minute passed and a vociferous crash rang in her ears. The desire to go to the door and explore the source of the intrusion was quickly extinguished by an unmistakable instinct that something bad was about to happen. She stepped towards the door, choosing to trust her instinct in this scenario. The sound of heavy footfalls on the wooden floor told her that it wasn't Taehyung. Her mouth became dry. Peering out through the crack in the bedroom door she could roughly make out a tall figure clad in black mooch about the apartment, smashing furniture as they tore the place apart, searching for something that Jennie wasn't privy to. She watched the intruder toss the couch cushions across the room before moving to the chest of drawers in the corner with the movements of a man possessed. When they didn't find what they were looking for, Jennie saw the figure stand and turn in the direction of the bedroom. She acted fast, sliding open the closet door and climbing inside, scrambling amongst the rows of clothes, hangers and shoes as she backed into the darkest corner, pulling her small self in behind a large suitcase as she tried to hide. Reaching upwards she yanked hard on the clothes above her, letting jackets, hoodies and the odd hanger tumble down on top of her to provide extra cover. A hanger landed on her lap, and as the intruder busted their way into the bedroom, she manipulated the malleable item into a hook, keen to arm herself with a weapon in case she needed to fight her way out, an outcome she was well used to at this stage. Her hands trembled as she twisted the metal into shape, the sound of floorboards creaking outside the closet door instilling a strong need to defend herself in her mind. The closer the intruder got the faster she worked. A sliver of light cut into the closet, and Jennie eyed it carefully, using it to determine the proximity of the unwanted guest as best she could. A shadow blocked out the light much to her dismay, and her palms grew sweaty. A voice she didn't recognise penetrated the quiet, and the shadow vanished from the closet entrance. Jennie couldn't make out what was being said, the voice becoming just a mumble as it moved around the room, followed by another crash, one that made Jennie jump in fright. She wet her lips, mentally preparing herself for an altercation at any moment. The footsteps halted at the entrance to the closet once again, and Jennie slid further into the dark, watching out of the corner of her eye as the door was pushed open, and a covered head and arm reached into the space. Jennie held her breath.   
"It's not here", the stranger spat to no one in particular.   
Frustrated, they slammed the door shut in their wake and walked away, the footfalls vanishing from earshot as they left the room. Jennie exhaled a ragged breath, senses on high alert. Counting down from ten she clambered out of the closet and, glancing back and forth to assess her surroundings, she tiptoed into the hallway. The smell of body odour and cigarette smoke lingered in the air. Glancing down at the door she saw that it had been smashed in, bits of metal and wood littered the ground, and it was left swinging wide at an angle. Raising her makeshift weapon, Jennie looked into the living room. The couch had been upturned and drawers littered the ground. The television had been switched off and there was a crack in the glass top on the coffee table. At her feet she noticed overlapping wet boot prints leading from the hallway into the kitchen and then to the door. She felt sick. Slowly she walked toward the entrance, glancing around her as she did so, not wanting to be caught off guard. A scuffle outside made her duck behind the wall. Convinced the intruder was back to do one more sweep of the place, Jennie gritted her teeth, eyes darting back and forth, ears picking up any unusual sound that would direct her to the location of the trespasser. A shadow came around the corner into the kitchen area, and that's when Jennie pounced.

Taehyung yelled when she leaped in front of him, and suddenly overwhelmed, Jennie dropped the hanger to the ground, unable to stop herself from bursting into tears at what had just happened. Taehyung pulled her into a tight hug.   
"What the fuck happened in here Jen?"  
"Someone broke in" she sniffed, wiping her eyes on his T-shirt. He smelled like perspiration and lynx body spray.   
"Did they hurt you?"  
"No", she choked. "I managed to hide in your closet".  
Taehyung walked into the living room, picking up a couch cushion as he drank in the state of the room, grimacing at the mess. He turned to Jennie.   
"Do you know what they were looking for?"   
"I've no idea", she said, wiping her eyes. "But they didn't find it, whatever it was".  
Taehyung didn't respond. Standing in the centre of the room he hauled the couch back into the middle of the living space, slotting the thick cushions back into submission without a word. He then crouched next to the mess of drawers and debris, and taking initiative Jennie joined him, picking up old sheets of paper, the odd photograph and some of Taehyung's souvenirs from his travels. They didn't speak as they tidied the mess. Jennie peered at Taehyung from beneath her lashes. He kept his gaze glued to the ground.   
"Are you going to say something?" she whispered.   
"What can I say?"   
He got up and put the last of the drawers back into position, lingering slightly as he assessed the rest of the damage. Jennie got to her feet, feeling like a bold child who misbehaved and now awaited a punishment. Taehyung looked at her, eyes sad.  
"I'm glad they didn't hurt you", he mumbled.  
Jennie winced. His words lacked sincerity.  
"I don't know who did this Tae".  
"I know".  
Jennie met his eyes. "You know?"  
Taehyung shrugged. "Yeah, I mean there's no point in me getting angry over something that was out of both of our control, is there?."   
His tone was icy. He brushed past her into the kitchen, and Jennie followed.   
"Tea?"   
Mugs scraped against the marble countertop.   
"Yes please".

Jennie tucked her knees up under her chin as she sat on the couch, picking absent mindedly at the fabric. She sat the steaming mug in her lap, wrapping her fingers around it so as not to let the contents spill. Taehyung sat opposite her.   
"This can't keep happening" he said.   
"I know".  
"So I'm going to make it my mission to get us some weapons to protect ourselves".  
"It's a start".  
"Ideally", Taehyung began, taking a sip of his tea, " I'd rather go to the police, but -",  
"We can't !" Jennie interrupted.   
"I know we can't".  
Jennie took a gulp of her tea, despite it still being scalding hot. She watched the liquid swirl in the mug, not wanting to engage with Taehyung any further.   
"What did the person look like?"   
"I didn't see their face", Jennie replied, meeting his gaze.  
"Anything at all?"  
"They had a deep voice. Male".  
Taehyung mulled over her words, scratching at his beard scruff as he did so. Jennie tapped her fingernails against her mug.   
"I'm sick of this, Jen" he said, after a pause.   
Jennie's heart leaped into her mouth.   
"Sick of what?"  
"The torment".  
Jennie stared at him, willing him to elaborate.  
Shifting into a more comfortable position, Taehyung placed his mug on the coffee table.   
"I'm sick of not being here when they come around" he added. Jennie sidled in next to him, placing her mug down so that she could drape an arm across his back. He gazed at her, waiting for her response.   
"I promised you I'd protect you", he said, when she didn't respond.   
"I know you did"   
"And it angers me when I can't seem to do that".  
"They only target me when they know you're not around", Jennie said, resting her head on his shoulder.   
"Well, that's going to have to change".  
"As long as I have you, I know they can't harm me" she whispered.  
Taehyung kissed her softly on the top of the head. Jennie snuggled into him, feeling safer than she ever had in a long time.


	2. War Within

“So, to use the keypad you have to program your own password into it, and then once you do that it'll ask you to re-enter the same password in order to lock it again, okay?"   
"Sure" Taehyung replied.   
"Also, I've replaced the escutcheon and the broken hinge, but I won't charge you for that".  
"Ahh, thanks man" Taehyung said.  
Jennie watched him interact with the apartment complex maintainance man, Joe out of her peripheral and she couldn't help the smile that crossed her lips as Taehyung chatted causally to him about his work hours and whether he was busy or not. Joe packed his tools and Taehyung closed the door in his wake before standing at the end of the kitchen island, eyeing Jennie up and down as she put the frying pan on the hob.   
"I don't think anybody will be getting in here again" he said after a pause.   
"I hope not" she replied. "I've learned not to hold my breath in situations like this".  
"I can promise you they won't get back in here, Jen".  
Jennie shrugged. "We can't be naive about this Tae. I've been around people like this my whole life, I know what they're capable of".  
"Those people" Taehyung countered, approaching her slowly with outstretched arms, "won't hurt you anymore".  
"I admire your confidence".  
"Someone has to be".  
Jennie pushed the handle of the frying pan inwards before turning round to face Taehyung with knitted brows. She crossed her arms.  
"So you wouldn't blame me if things went to shit again, then?,"   
Taehyung sighed. Jennie frowned at him, daring him to respond.   
"What happened that night was a legitimate response to having the police show up at your door, Jen" he said. "How else am I supposed to react?"  
Jennie stared at him. "There you go again".  
"What now?"  
"There's no point in both of us being scared and helpless in situations like that, Tae. You said it yourself last night, that there is no point in getting angry over something that's out of our control". Jennie chewed the inside of her mouth, wincing when she tasted blood. "Where's the man who pushed that gun into my hands the night Kai was murdered and told me it was going to be okay?"  
"And look what happened the second you left my sight?"  
The pan began to spit behind Jennie. Taehyung stared at her imploringly, mouth downturned. Anxious, Jennie began to fidget, eyes darting across the kitchen island, avoiding Taehyung's gaze completely.   
"Despite all.. that, you made me feel like it was actually going to be okay after all, and that's when I knew I could trust you, that I ..." she trailed off, putting her back to Taehyung as she threw ingredients into the sizzling pan, busying herself with the task of cooking the breakfast as a distraction from the uncomfortable conversation taking place around her.  
Taehyung wrapped her up in a tight hug from behind.   
"That you what?" he asked.  
Jennie hesitated. "Nothing"  
"Tell me".  
"Not now", she muttered.   
He sniffed loudly in lieu of a response. Reaching around her he turned the dials on the oven to switch the flow of gas off, and Jennie lifted the pan onto the countertop, the smell of burning batter and bacon filling the air as she served it up onto two plates.   
"You have to understand that I'm an outsider in this situation so it'll take me time to grow accustomed to how you used to live, of the dangers that come with that" he said, voice low. Jennie wormed her way out of his hug, tossing the dirty pan into the sink with a loud bang. Taehyung flinched at the noise, a flash of irritation masking his face at the sudden interruption.   
"Breakfast is ready" Jennie said, glancing at him briefly.   
"We need to have this conversation Jen".  
"We already have", she quipped.  
"I don't think so".  
"I know you're trying, Tae, okay? I know you are, and I appreciate it, I really do, alright?" she snapped.   
"I'll protect you next time" he replied. "I swear to you".  
Jennie slid his plate towards him, before stabbing her meal with the fork, letting the metal grate against the surface with a squeal.   
"It's not about that, Tae" she said, over a mouthful.   
He looked at her, waiting for her to continue.   
"I need to know you're on my side" she added.   
"I am".  
"Okay, well then our first port of call is finding weapons, like we discussed".   
Taehyung nodded, taking her request into consideration.   
"I don't have a gun license, but I know somebody who does".

*

A heavy rain lashed against the window, and Jennie marvelled at nature's tantrum as a powerful gust of wind howled around the building. The music that blared through the speakers only added to the noise and she felt suddenly overwhelmed by stimulus. She felt uneasy, and the perplexing memory of the breakin remained at the forefront of her mind. Her mind was on a constant flow of high stress and she wasn't sure how much longer she had left before she broke down completely. Chewing her bottom lip out of reflex she had a sudden craving for cocaine, something to numb out the trauma of everything she had been through all those years ago.   
"Yo, Jen", Taehyung called over the music, and the sharp sound snapped Jennie out of her stupor. She turned towards him, keen to get herself under control again before he sensed something was up.   
Jennie unfolded herself from the chair and stood up to meet Taehyung as he approached her, clumps of his fringe sticking to his forehead in a sweaty mess. His dance crew broke for a water break and Jennie fished a bottle out of his sports bag and handed it to him.   
Taehyung crunched the plastic beneath his long fingers as he consumed the contents in four large gulps. Jennie offered him the seat she was occupying but he dismissed it with a wave of his hand. She sat back into it, handing him a towel for the sweat without a word.   
“You ok?” he whispered, brushing her chin gently.   
“Yeah, just thinking”.  
“About what?”.  
“Everything”, she replied. “How I got to this point in my life, and so on..”.  
Taehyung crouched to her eye level.   
“Whatever doubts you’re having, I’m really glad I met you”.  
Jennie blushed at his words and he grinned when the pink flush flared up on her round cheeks.   
“Tae, let’s go”, Hoseok yelled, and planting a quick kiss on Jennie’s nose, Taehyung upped and jogged back to the centre of the dance floor, game face on and ready. Jennie marvelled at his crews ability to master complex dance moves and the intricate art of synchronicity. She caught Taehyung’s gaze in the mirror a few times and the spark that came with it reminded her of the first time they met, a memory she could never forget. 

“I’m just going to pull in here for milk and stuff before we head home” Taehyung said, as he swung the vehicle clean into the isolated garage, drawing up next to a fuel dispenser with ease. He yanked on the handbrake and turned off the ignition.   
“Do you want anything?” he asked.  
“Yeah, some water please” Jennie replied.   
Taehyung locked his car before jogging into the convenience shop next to the petrol garage, and Jennie watched him vanish round the corner and out of sight before switching on the radio to fill the silence. A song she liked came over the speakers and she turned the volume up to distract herself from Taehyung’s absence. Cars came and went from the garage, and the longer Taehyung was away the more anxious Jennie became. A ding from Taehyung’s phone in the centre console made her glance down at the screen. A message from a girl called Jisoo made Jennie frown, and she picked up the phone to read the message clearly. She knew it wasn’t any of her business but her curiosity won out. If Taehyung wanted to see other women he could, he had no official commitments to Jennie and she knew that, but the stabbing feeling that he was talking to another woman grew increasingly more uncomfortable the longer she watched the message dance across the screen. Distracted by what was going on on Taehyung’s mobile, Jennie didn’t see the masked figure run up to the passenger side window and smash a baseball bat through the glass, paralysing her in fear. She screamed as glass imploded in on top of her lap and down at her feet, and in her panic she dropped Taehyung’s phone down the side of her seat. Her attacker knocked out the rest of the glass with the bat before tossing it to the ground and reaching in to access the lock mechanism on the door whilst Jennie was stuck in fright. Shaking her hair out of her face Jennie reacted quickly. She raised a leg and kicked out at her assailant, raining blows down on their hands and in their face in her haste to defend herself from harm. Her attacker grabbed hold of her ankle in a hold that felt all too familiar, and feeling brave she clawed at their face, managing to rip their mask down to revel a shock of dark facial hair above their upper lip. Recognition dawned on her.   
“Little bitch” her attacker scoffed, swiping at her with two large hands in an attempt to reprimand her actions but Jennie was smarter. Using her small frame she backed into the centre console and scrambled over it haphazardly, keeping her eyes trained on the man in front of her at all times. Sliding into the drivers seat she slammed an elbow down onto the horn and grinned when her attacker spooked at the loud blare that emanated from the vehicle, alerting passerby’s and much to Jennie’s relief, Taehyung out from the shop to assess the racket. Taehyung and the shop employee came sprinting towards the car, and Jennie’s attacker ran, darting into the shadows as Taehyung approached the scene, a large shopping bag in hand. He wasted no time in replacing the shopping bag with the fallen baseball bat and despite Jennie’s pleas he chased after the masked man with a vengeance, vanishing into the shadows and out of Jennie’s eyesight. The shop employee stood yards away from the car, both hands in his hair as he marvelled at the mess of glass and metal on the ground. Slowly, Jennie climbed into the passenger seat and opened the door, careful to avoid the glass at all costs. Taehyung’s phone fell onto the tarmac, a small crack marred the screen in the top corner, and Jennie winced, feeling guilty. She hauled the shopping into the space at her feet and then sat with her head in her hands, letting an uncontrollable sob erupt from the depths of her gut as her emotions hit an all time high.


	3. Never Say Die

“Jennie, Jen, please talk to me", Taehyung called, shaking Jennie firmly on the arm in an attempt to snap her out of her traumatised stupor. Jennie sniffed obnoxiously, face puffy from sobbing. Taehyung crouched beside her, begging her to look at him, to speak, to say anything about what happened and whether she knew the identity of the assailant or not.  
"Please look at me, Jen" Taehyung pushed, voice raspy as his own resolve waned slightly as a result of the stressful circumstances. Pushing her greasy hair out of her face, Jennie faced him, eyes glassy and unseeing. The last time she was this out of it she was fucked up on a savage three day cocaine bender, and that intrusive thought only forced her to recede further into her own being. Taehyung embraced her in a tight hug, resorting to a physical tactic since words were proving useless. Jennie let him hug her, sinking into the warmth his embrace brought her, and with shaky hands she reached up and gripped at his hoodie with rigid fingers, digging her nails into the fabric for dear life, afraid he would disappear from view again.   
"It's okay, Jen", Taehyung whispered, stroking her head. "I promise".  
Swallowing the weighted bolus of suppressed emotion that had settled in her throat, she found the strength to say, "I know who did this".  
Taehyung pulled back to look at her with wide eyes at her confession, but Jennie kept her own gaze glued to the tarmac and the handle of the baseball bat that had rolled beneath the car. The harsh neon lights of the garage made the broken glass sparkle with nauseating colours, and she dragged her tired eyes up to Taehyung's face to avoid the sickening glow. There was something about Taehyung's deep brown irises that instilled a sense of comfort within Jennie.   
"What did you say?" he pushed.   
"I saw their face".  
"Who is it?"  
"Chen"  
"Who?"  
"He abused me in that house, along with Lisa".  
"The house you burned down?"  
Jennie nodded slowly.   
"I thought they all died in the fire?"  
Jennie shrugged. "Or so we thought".  
Taehyung sighed exasperatedly. "The police fucking confirmed it", he spat. "I don't understand..".  
"They're back for revenge".  
Taehyung got to his feet. "Not this time".

*

“Just place the tape over the board like that”, Taehyung instructed, holding the piece of cardboard in place as Jennie layered up on duct tape to ensure the cardboard didn’t shift whilst the car was in motion. Taehyung took the tape from her hands and added the adhesive to areas around the base of the window and near the rear view mirror for good measure.   
“You think it’ll hold?” Jennie asked.  
“Hopefully”, Taehyung replied. “I can’t afford to get the window replaced just yet”.  
Jennie climbed into the car and slammed the door, assessing the makeshift window from the inside. It appeared steady enough but she knew better than anyone that appearances can be deceiving. Taehyung sat in next to her and planted a hand on her knees. “You ready?”  
Jennie nodded, gnawing on her bottom lip as the anxiety took hold. Sitting in Taehyung’s car made her feel uneasy. Flashbacks from the night before made her zone out, and it took Taehyung a few attempts to get her back on track. She snapped out of her stupor when she felt the vehicle lurch forward. Taehyung steered out onto the busy road, and with the radio on to drown out the need for uncomfortable conversation, they merged into the flow. 

Jungkook’s house was located in a neat suburb off the main road. Taehyung put the headlights on full beam as he navigated his way around the enclosed estate, looking out for house number five. Jennie noticed a large green area smack in the middle of the estate, and a ring of elaborately designed houses surrounded it. A sharp lurch to the right made her grip the door out of a reflex and she glanced at Taehyung with wide eyes. He looked back at her apologetically.   
“Sorry, Jen, I just noticed a parking space”.  
He pulled up to the kerb with ease and honked. Jungkook came jogging out of a side door down to meet them, just as Jennie stepped out of the car onto the road, clutching at her arms as a wind only she could feel chilled her to the bone.   
“This way”. Jungkook aaid, beckoning with a jerk of his chin in the direction of the back of the house. Jennie followed behind Taehyung, catching a strange look from Jungkook as they rounded the side of the house and into an open shed filled with boxes and some old wooden cabinets. A mere lightbulb swung back and forth above their heads, casting a haunting glow above the equipment as it did so. Jungkook approached a makeshift table in the centre of the shed, and he hauled a box up onto the surface in one go, letting the rusty metal container fall with a casual bang. Jennie and Taehyung joined his side, eager to see what the fuss was all about. Jungkook took centre stage.  
“My dad served one of the highest rankings you can achieve in the military when he did his service and as a reward for all his hard work he was awarded all these personalised weapons which he’s collected ever since”, he explained as he opened the box to reveal dismantled parts of a Glock 9mm model, encased in red velvet to keep the pieces in top condition. Jennie eyed the weapon warily. Jungkook met her worried expression and much to her discomfort he let his gaze linger on hers for a bit too long. Taehyung moved to one of the cabinets behind the table and threw the doors wide.   
“What about knives?” he asked.   
Jungkook tore his eyes from Jennie’s long enough to join Taehyung’s side, and Jennie watched them become immersed in a conversation about the military and what weapons they were savvy in and which ones they weren’t. Jennie grimaced at the amount of testosterone that seemed to permeate the tiny space as the conversation escalated to her right. There was something about the way that Jungkook’s intense stare that made her heart flip inside her chest several times. The boys scuffled to the next cabinet.   
“My dad keeps his collection of engraved daggers in this drawer”, Jennie heard Jungkook say. Taehyung pulled two out of the drawer, running his fingertips over the hilt of the largest one in awe. Jennie tuned out of the conversation at that moment, feeling suddenly overwhelmed by the amount of weaponrt at her mere disposal, and despite her best efforts she let a montage of memories of Kai flood her mind. Her heart leaped into her throat as the emotion heaved in her gut. Taehyung cut a glimpse in her direction and his mouth dropped open when he noticed the fully assembled 9mm glock that hung down by Jennie’s side like a miniature cannon.   
“Jen” he called sharply.   
Jungkook shot her a look. Jennie blinked slowly before turning to face them both, an expression of ignorance masking her flushed visage.  
“What?” she asked, pupils darting between the two men as she awaited an answer. Jungkook’s hand flew to his mouth when he caught sight of the gun in her hand.  
“How did you do that?” he asked. Jennie raised the gun slowly, frowning when she couldn’t for the life of her recall how or when she took the pieces out of the box and assembled it with such ease.   
“I.. I don’t know”.   
Taehyung was at her side in a flash. Jennie’s knuckles were white around the butt of the gun, fingers locked in a rigid grip. Jungkook stepped closer to her, hand outstretched towards her, motioning for her to hand the weapon over before anyone got hurt.   
“What do you mean you don’t know, Jen?” Taehyung inquired.  
“I must have done it out of reflex?,” she relayed.  
Jungkook snatched it out of her grip, wiping down the metal with the hem of his shirt in fervent motions.  
Taehyung scowered Jennie’s face for any signs of instability. He found none.   
“We’ll take it”, Jennie said, nodding at the gun in Jungkook’s hand. Jungkook scoffed.   
“ThIs one is my dad’s”, he said. “But I can offer you mine if you want?”.  
“Sure”.  
Jungkook slid a smaller box out from a compartment underneath the table and pushed it towards Taehyung.  
“There’s a round of bullets in there too”.  
Taehyung tucked the box under his arm.   
Jungkook fist bumped him amicably before leading the way around the side of the house, halting when Taehyung’s car and the vacant street came into view.   
“Thanks again, man” Taehyung said.  
“Anytime”.


	4. Sharper Underneath

Jennie let out a raspy moan into Taehyung's ear, and it caused a myriad of shivers to race down his spine, spurring on his increasing libido, and he grunted in response, gradually gathering rhythm as his climax built in the depths of his very being. Jennie's moist body writhed beneath him, and the friction of damp  
skin on skin heightened the mutual desire between both parties. Jennie mewled against his cheek, their warm breath mingling heat in the space between their bodies. Taehyung grunted as his thrusts grew deeper, and Jennie pressed her palm into the headboard as her hips rose to meet his, rubbing, grinding, rocking back and forth as he slammed into her warm sex. Reaching up he grabbed hold of a firm breast, kneading it gently with the heel of his hand, grinning when Jennie's moans of pleasure reached fever pitch.  
"Fuck Jen" Taehyung groaned as his own climax drew near. He bucked hard causing another mewl to escape Jennie's chapped lips. Knotting his long fingers in her hair he ejaculated inside her, exploding with a lurge. Collapsing on top of her he mashed his forehand into her sternum, exhaling loudly as he tried to come down from his high. Jennie ran her hands through his curls, panting steadily in order to catch her own breath. Pushing himself up onto his elbows, he kissed her softly on the mouth, sucking her lower lip into his mouth for good measure. Jennie whimpered, tracing the outline of his jaw with intrepid fingers.  
"I feel something for you that I can't explain", she whispered. Taehyung blinked slowly at her, brown orbs drinking in every single one of her features. Swallowing hard, his eyes dropped to her pillowy lips.  
"You're beautiful", he said, kissing her gently, unable to get enough. Jennie blushed. Her skin glowed rosy in the mid afternoon light. The bedsheets clung to their moist flesh, and Taehyung peeled the covers off his legs as he got to his feet. Jennie rolled onto her side, hiding her body behind a mountain of duvet. Taehyung fixed his hair, extending his tall form as he he did so, and she couldn't help but blush at the sight of his exposed torso and slowly deflating penis. His dick was long.  
"I've to go to the dance studio today", he announced, disappearing into the bathroom. Jennie blinked the sleep out of her eyes.  
"How long will you be?"  
She could hear Taehyung move about in the bathroom.  
"Not long", he replied. "We need to prepare for the second stage of the competition".  
"Okay"  
Jennie couldn't help the nausea that settled in her gut at the realisation that she'd be left in the apartment alone again. The pipes groaned as Taehyung turned the shower on. The steady hum instilled a strange sense of relaxation within her. Kicking the blankets off her legs, she slipped into a light sleep, the warm scent of shampoo and perspiration lulling her into a soft slumber. 

*

"No, the step is left, right, left and then drop" Hoseok relayed to the room as the formation collapsed, voice hoarse from barking instruction. He fixed his hair beneath his cap as he sighed towards the mirror. The music died in the speakers. Taehyung's legs ached. The other boys lay sprawled on the ground, desperately trying to salvage their breath. Jungkook pulled out a chair and dropped down next to Taehyung.  
"How's the old 9mm working out?" he asked, voice low. Taehyung splashed water onto his heaving chest in an attempt to cool himself down.  
"We haven't used it yet", he said, frowning at the unusual question.  
"Ah ok ok", Jungkook replied. "How's Jennie getting on?".  
Taehyung shot Jungkook a quizzical expression.  
"She's fine".  
"That's good", Jungkook continued.  
"Why'd you ask?"  
"Just checking in".  
"Yeah, but why?"  
"She looked pretty out of it yesterday night, that's all".  
Jungkook joked, bumping Taehyung on the arm playfully. Taehyung cracked a wavering smile in his friends direction, finding the conversation strange. Ever since he'd fallen deeper into Jennie's past, the more he felt on edge, like he couldn't trust anyone, including his own crew members.  
"Let's go, guys" Hoseok quipped, snapping Taehyung out of his thoughts. Jumping into position, Taehyung worked with the formation, playing his part in ensuring it went well and without a hitch. The song came to an end, and Hoseok concluded their practice session for the evening. 

"The light's green", Taehyung cursed. "Go".  
The car in front of him pulled out slowly into the junction and flicking on his indicator, Taehyung pulled a hard left and manoeuvred his way around the obstacle. The street was vacant as he tore down the dimly lit main road, muttering to himself as he did so. The cardboard taped over the window flapped as it got caught in the slip stream. He growled at the irritating sound, choosing to turn on the radio to drown it out. His phone rang at that moment and pulling into the hard shoulder, he cut the engine and answered it.  
"Hello?"  
"Tae?"  
Taehyung froze when he recognised the voice.  
"Jisoo?"  
"Hey yeah it's me" she said. Taehyung could hear crackling and noise down the other end, and he frowned.  
"You ok?" he asked, after a pause.  
"I will be once you come and pick me up".  
"Where are you?"  
Jisoo gave him a vague location.  
"I can meet you somewhere more local" Taehyung said, his stomach dropping the longer he spoke to Jisoo. She sniffed, and Taehyung could make out distinct scuffling and static coming from her line.  
"No" she said. "Pick me up here".  
"Can't you get a taxi?"  
"No, please, Taehyung".  
"Ok", he said, against his better judgement. "I'll be fifteen minutes".

Taehyung flicked his headlights on full beam as he crunched over gravel and dirt before halting at a rickety wrought iron gate. One side of the gate had been crushed inwards and it hung awkwardly on its hinges. A thick lock clanged against it in the breeze. He could smell fish in the air. Shipping containers appeared like giant robots in the shadows, and Taehyung couldn't shake the uneasiness that settled in his throat. He rang Jisoo. She didn't answer. He climbed out of the car and stood in the door, assessing his surroundings with extreme alertness. He was at the Briarwood Shipping Yard. The gentle sound of water lapping against the boats moored in the dock behind him freaked him out. Squaring his shoulders, he called Jisoo back. This time she answered the call. Her voice trembled.  
"Tae".  
"Yeah, Jisoo, where are you?"  
"I'm coming towards the gate".  
Taehyung sat back inside his car as he waited for Jisoo to make an appearance. When she made herself known, he revved the engine, eager to get back home to Jennie. Jisoo sat into the backseat behind him.  
"Hi, thanks for coming" she said. Taehyung glsnced st her in the rear view mirror. She looked dishevelled. The stench of fish and alcohol permeated off her. He cracked a window. She met his eyes in the mirror.  
"What were you doing out here?" Taehyung asked.  
"Oh, I was with my boyfriend".  
"Out here?"  
"Yeah".  
Taehyung slid his belt across his body, and put the car into drive, choosing not to push Jisoo about her whereabouts. He didn't know her like that.  
"Where do you want me to-".  
Taehyung couldn't finish his sentence. A thick plastic bag had been thrown over his head and his neck had been wrenched back into his seat. He could begin to feel his brain being starved of oxygen. He slapped uselessly at Jisoo's hands, desperate to relieve her hold on him, but to no avail. The grip around his neck tightened. Taehyung gasped against the plastic, feeling his own breath warm the inside the more he struggled. His lungs burned. The plastic dug into his epithelium as he tried to lunge forward. Jisoo refused to let up. His hands knocked against the steering wheel, the gearshift, anything to help his cause. He scrabbled at the sides of his seat, forcing his brain to muster a solution before he lost consciousness. The gasping became more ragged. He could hear Jisoo grunt at the strenuous task, willing him to die. How was she this strong?  
Taehyung's calloused fingers pushed against all the levers on the side of his seat, eventually pressing one that fired his seat backwards, crushing Jisoo's legs and knocking her back with a jerking force, causing her to release her hold on the bag around Taehyung’s neck. Taehyung tore the bag off his head and stumbled out of the car, wheezing and clutching for oxygen. He dropped to his knees, swallowing gulps of air to replenish his aching lungs. Jisoo climbed out of the car after a pause, pretty face marred with tears. Taehyung glared at her.  
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" he stuttered.  
"It was my boyfriend", Jisoo explained. "He made me do it".  
"I don't want to hear it".  
"Tae, please", Jisoo begged, voice catching in her throat. She crouched to his level.  
"Why did you bring me here?"  
"I had to".  
Taehyung staggered to his feet, an agonising pain ripping through his torso with every move he made.  
"You tried to kill me".  
Jisoo sobbed. "You need to understand that it wasn't my fault".  
Taehyung scowled. "You're a liar".  
Jisoo stepped closer.  
"Get away from me" Taehyung snapped.  
"Please, you and Jennie need to go".  
"How do you know about Jennie?"  
"My boyfriend -".  
A gunshot tore through the silence just at that moment and Taehyung's knees went from underneath him. He ducked down behind his car, staring wide eyed around him in order to locate the source of the noise. His ears rang. Jisoo lay dead at his feet.


	5. Million to One

Taehyung stumbled into the apartment, trembling uncontrollably. He knocked a small mirror off the wall in his haste to get inside. His car keys clattered to the floor. The door slammed shut behind him with an alarming bang. Jennie emerged from the bedroom in his robe, eyes wide with panic at the noise. When she say the tousled state of Taehyung, she sprinted down the hall towards him, bare feet slapping the wood as she moved. She embraced him just as he sank to his knees and Jennie buckled underneath his weight. They slid to the floor in a heap, clutching at one another for dear life. Jennie could feel Taehyung's heart pound in through his clothing, racing at a speed fit to burst.   
"Where have you been?" she cried, voice wavering.  
Incapable of finding the words to respond, Taehyung drove his forehead into the crook of her neck instead, breathing heavily as he did so. Jennie stroked his hair. The overwhelming smell of fish and damp on his T-shirt made her gag. Unable to determine the origin of the scent, she pushed his hair back in order to examine his face  
"Where were you?", she asked.  
"The shipping yard".  
"What, why?".  
Taehyung pulled back to stare at Jennie directly in the eyes, the realisation that hed have to own up and give her an honest response terrifying him. Jennie noticed that his pupils were dilated, and that his T-shirt had been stained with dark spots. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat at the sight.   
"I'll ask you again, where the fuck did you go?"  
"I told you".  
"Why would you go all the way out to the shipping yard, Tae?".  
He scrubbed a shaking hand down his face, avoiding her gaze. Jennie places a firm palm on his cheek, forcing him to look at her.   
"Well?" she pushed.   
"I was there with Jisoo".  
"Who?."   
Jennie's tone leapt two octaves.   
"A friend", Taehyung explained. "She needed someone to collect her from the shipping yard, so she called me and I went to get her".  
He rose to his feet. Jennie did the same, letting his words sink in. She ran a hand across her torso to ease the weight of anxiety that had settled uncomfortably in her ribcage.   
"And?", she quizzed.  
"And nothing", Taehyung snapped. "I went to collect her and that was that".  
"Why do you look all messed up then?".  
"Jisoo.." he trailed off.   
"Yeah?"   
"She tried to kill me".  
"WHAT?"  
Taehyung whirled around, fixing Jennie with a hard glare. Jennie blinked back the tears in her eyes. Her hand flew to her mouth as Taehyung's revelation slammed in to her core.   
"Why?" she choked, looking anywhere but at Taehyung, mind working to put the jagged puzzle pieces together, to make sense of all this.   
"Because she's one of them" he spat. "One of yours".  
"What do you mean, one of mine".  
"Her boyfriend is the one trying to harm you, Jen".  
Jennie couldn't breathe. She sagged against the wall, running her fingers through her hair twice before grabbing at it agitatedly out of reflex. Overwhelmed, she began to sob. Taehyung was in front of her in a blink of an eye. He grabbed hold of her wrist and yanked her hand out of her hair, uttering consolations in her ear in a last ditch attempt to get her to calm down.   
"Why did you collect her in the first place", she cried.   
"Because I thought she was in trouble".  
"You should have said no".  
"That's not my nature, Jen".  
"Fuck what your nature is", she quipped. "Are you on my side or not?"  
"Yes".  
"Then prove it".  
"I have been".  
Jennie squared her jaw, glowering up at Taehyung with puffy, narrowed eyes. She was exhausted. Taehyung stepped closer, undeterred.   
"I don't want you to see that Jisoo bitch again".  
"Done".  
"And it's better if she can't contact you aswell".  
"She's dead, so don't worry about that".  
"Dead?"  
Taehyung's eyes were glued to his shoes. Jennie crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for him to elaborate.   
"Her boyfriend shot her right in front of me".  
"That's why there's blood on your shirt then".  
"Yeah".  
Silence descended on them like thick, suffocating blanket. Jennie sniffed, gritting her teeth the second another wave of tears threatened to spill. Taehyung brushed past her into the bedroom, removing his clothes as he walked, discarding them on the floor before disappearing into the bathroom. Jennie returned to the bed and lay down, the desire to relax stripped from her now that the unspoken stakes had been risen. Taehyung took his time in the shower, giving Jennie the time she needed to formulate a plan, an escape route. Mulling over the plausibility of her arrangement, she figured the money in the backpack hidden under the bed would be enough to get Taehyung and herself out of the city for good. Movement in the bathroom made her act quickly. She lay Kai's backpack down onto the messy duvet and zipped it wide, turning it towards her so that Taehyung wouldn't spot it at first. Eventually, he emerged into the bedroom with an towel around his hips. He cast a glimpse over at Jennie without a word. His eyes landed on the backpack and he sighed exasperatedly.   
"What's that, Jen?"  
"Our way out?"  
Taehyung towelled at his hair before pulling on a fresh T-shirt. Jennie watched him move around the room.   
"What do you mean?" he asked.   
"We can use this money to leave this city, Tae".  
"No we can't".  
"We finally have a chance to make a fresh start".  
Taehyung pulled on tracksuit bottoms, muttering under his breath at Jennie's wild outburst. Jennie pulled wads of cash out of the bag and offered them to him.   
"Don't you want that?" she asked.  
Taehyung sat down at her feet. "We can't just leave Jen".  
"Why not?"  
Taehyung raised an eyebrow.   
"Because I have a life here".  
Jennie balked. "I know, but even if we go for a couple days, just until all this shit dies down".  
"You're getting ahead of yourself Jennie".  
She scowled. "No I'm not".  
Taehyung rubbed her bare calf fondly.   
"We have the money, so why don't we use it?".  
"It's not that simple".  
"It could be".  
Taehyung grinned. "I don't think now is the right time for us to go anywhere to be quite honest".  
"Now is the perfect time", Jennie replied. "I can't live in fear any longer, Tae. I'm starting to go insane".  
"Let's decide in the next few days then, okay?".  
Jennie put the money away without a word. She knew Taehyung was right, but the stubborn side of her didn't want to admit it.   
"I just need time", Taehyung said, climbing into the bed beside her. Jennie nodded, gnawing on the inside of her mouth to ease the sudden discomfort in her stomach.   
"What if we don't have time?".  
Taehyung faced her with tired eyes. "We do, Jen".  
"We don't know that for sure though".  
"Trust me".  
Jennie yawned in lieu of a response, and Taehyung cuddled into her embrace, desperate for warmth.   
Jennie was aware that she was being selfish. It was unfair to assume that Taehyung would be wiling to upend his whole entire life for her just because she asked him to. Anxious, she held him close, feeling a strong sense of comfort now that he was by her side.   
"Just give me a few days, Jen, okay?", Taehyung mumbled sleepily.   
"Sure".  
As much as it pained her to have dragged him into the destruction of her past life, she knew that she'd have to work alongside him if they were to come out of this alive.


	6. Cross We Bear

"I'm going to the shop, Jen".   
"Ok".  
"Do you want anything?"  
"No, I'm fine".  
"Ok".  
Taehyung grabbed his jacket off the back of the couch and kissed Jennie on the top of her head before heading to the door.   
"I'll be back soon".  
"I hope so".  
Once he was gone, Jennie turned up the volume on the television to break the silence. She made herself a cup of tea once she ensured the front door had been locked to her satisfaction. The experience of having someone break in still terrified her deep down and the last thing she wanted was for it to occur a second time. She flicked casually throw the selections on Netflix, not showing an interest in anything that came up on the screen. The heat from her mug warmed her hands. Selecting an action film she sat back as the film started, willing Taehyung to walk through the front door at any moment. Two quick raps on the door in succession made her freeze in place. Placing the mug on the coffee table Jennie rose to her feet. The knocks came a second time. She went to the door and peered though the peephole. It was Joe, the maintainance man. Jennie frowned at the suspicious visit, before cracking open the door as far as the chain lock would allow. Joe straightened his shoulders when he saw her.   
"Hi, ehh, is Taehyung in?"  
"He'll be back in a while, why?"  
"I need a hand moving some equipment".  
"Oh well I'll send him down when he gets back".  
Joe straightened his shoulders. "It's quite urgent".  
"I'm sure it is but Taehyung will help once he's..".  
"No".  
Jennie flinched at the sharpness in his voice. Joe shifted from foot to foot, and Jennie found his behaviour rather strange and dubious.   
"I mean", Joe said, voice firm, "it can't wait".  
Jennie swallowed a wave of doubt that had risen inside her gut. Joe braced a round palm against the wall to steady his elevated breathing.   
"Perhaps you could help me?"  
"Eh, I don't think I'd be the right person for the job".  
"It's okay, I can do most of the lifting, but I'll need you to hand me out the equipment bit by bit."  
Jennie chewed her bottom lip in thought.   
"Please", Joe continued.  
"I'm not sure".  
"We'll be done in 30 minutes max".  
"Ok sure, let me grab something first".   
Jennie shut the door in his face and slipped into the bedroom. Pulling open the top drawer in Taehyung's crowded night stand she found the 9mm, and one quick judgement assured her that there were bullets in the magazine. She stuffed the weapon into the waistband of her leggings and covered it with her jumper. Fixing a cap on her head for good measure, she left the apartment and followed Joe down the hall towards the staircase, keeping her distance from him in order to maintain safety as they descended the first flight of stairs. The stairwell stank of disinfectant and she grimaced when they passed the landing that Jennie had murdered Kai on, her mind replaying that night like a slideshow, and she closed her eyes to block out the memory of the gruesome scene, the blood spatter and where it was exactly that his body had fallen. Joe loudly whistled a tuneless song five feet ahead of Jennie and all it did was frustrate her, her anxiety climbing the longer they dwelled in the stairwell, and she couldn't help but exhale loudly when they finally reached the alley behind the complex, the cool air chilling her warm face and filling her constricted chest with much needed oxygen. The gun felt heavy in her waistband. Joe turned round to face her, mopping his brow with a filthy rag, only to produce more sweat along his hairline.   
"The truck is this way", he said, leading Jennie down the alley way and out into an isolated car park. Wary, Jennie glanced over her shoulder, making a quick mental map of her location as they rounded corners and emerged through a corrugated iron gate into a lot full of cars and a long heavy goods vehicle parked way down the far end of the field. The closer they got to the HGV, the more anxious Jennie became.   
"So, what exactly are we moving, then?" she asked.   
Joe trudged on ahead of her, refusing to give her an answer. Jennie halted, boots scuffing the tarmac as she half contemplated running back to the apartment, locking the door and hiding until Taehyung returned. Eventually, they reached the side of the truck, and Joe pulled the ramp out from the back, letting it clang indecently against the ground.   
"Round here", he grunted. Jennie took two steps in his direction, and that's when a thick black bag was flung around her head, accompanied by a swift punch to her solar plexus. Jennie squirmed, the onslaught seeming to be far worse than it was now that her senses had been cut off. She could hear muffled voices and the sounds of shoes on gravel in front and behind her, but when she spun around aimlessly, arms flailing, she came up against morning. Two intrusive hands at her waistband made her panic, and the reassuring weight of the gun against her skin vanished as the weapon was whipped from her person. She tried to scream, but the second a warbled sound escaped her lips it was met with a savage blow across her jaw. Her head was flung to the side as the knock followed through, and she winced when the fresh copper taste of blood filled her mouth. Her jaw burned. The suffocating fabric of the black stifled her oxygen flow and she felt a savage pain rip up into her sinuses, as several pairs of hands pulled her this way and that, and before she knew she had been hauled into the back of the truck, and the ramp was being removed, severing her freedom and connection to the outside world and Taehyung. She gasped and coughed out a gob of blood as the bag was snatched off her head and she could finally assess her situation. Wooden crates lined the inside of the truck at regular intervals, tied down by thick bonds that had been mounted into the floor of the truck via large metal hooks. The truck reeked of oil and rust. Blinking up at the shadow in front of her, Jennie's face fell when she saw Lisa standing before her, right arm encased in reams of white medical bandages, onyx hair cut short into a bob and she had added a lip ring to complete her aesthetic. Crouching in front of Jennie, Lisa pulled her head back and fired two relentless punches into the centre of Jennie's face, busting her nose and upper lip with a sickening wet crunch. Jennie shrieked at the abuse, two fat tears streaming down her bruised cheeks as a steady stream of blood erupted from her nose. Lisa wasn't finished just yet, and as Jennie tried to stop the flow of crimson using her hands, Lisa grabbed a fistful of her hair and dragged her screaming down the back of the truck, tossing Jennie up against the wall with little effort required. Crouching in front of her, Lisa sneered distastefully down at Jennie’s bruised appearance, before hitting her across the face a third time. As the impact ran its course Jennie spat out a mess of blood and saliva onto the ground, with some of the spittle landing on her clothing for good measure.   
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t fucking shoot you right here and now?” Lisa snarled, voice hoarse. Jennie’s entire face ached and she could feel the swelling begin to rise up beneath her skin. She trembled on the spot, unable to focus her vision on anything in the belly of the truck. Her throat was clogged with a sticky bolus of cruor and bile and despite the heaving in her chest she couldn’t shift it.  
“Huh?” Lisa sneered, booting Jennie hard in the ribcage, winding her completely. Jennie crumpled, much to Lisa’s delight. The sound of a gun cocking instilled a quiet fear in Jennie’s heart. Numb, she waited for the end, for that silver bullet to rip into her skull and put an end to it all. Her hair fell across her view, obscuring Lisa from her sight. Shifting in place Jennie tried to roll onto her side, but a terrible pain that shot up into her arm made her squeal as a result, and she stopped, accepting that one of her ribs could possibly be broken. Lisa’s boots appeared in front of her, and despite the pain she felt so tremendously in her gut she rolled over, glaring up at Lisa through watery eyes. She gritted her teeth in order to prevent a strong wave of dizziness from taking over her resolve. Lisa jammed the nose of the gun against Jennie’s temple.   
“I should pull this trigger right here, right now”.  
“Do it”.  
“Huh?”  
“I’ve got nothing to lose, so just fucking do it”.  
Lisa removed the trigger guard with a deafening click and Jennie braced for the inevitable impact.


	7. All That Dies

The truck lurched forward with a a sharp jolt, and the sudden movement caught Lisa clean off guard. Losing her balance she toppled into the wall of the vehicle above Jennie, smacking her face against the interior with a crunch. Jennie found the strength to reach up and snatch the gun out of her aggressor's hands, wrapping her own blood stained appendages around the hilt with minimal movements. Lisa recovered quickly from her blow, and she wasted no time in boring down on Jennie with a venom in her eyes. Punching Jennie in the side at the point of injury, she reprimanded the gun from her person and aimed it at Jennie's head for the third time. A ruckus from the end of the truck made Jennie slide a glance at the source of the noise. Chen stood a few feet away from her and Lisa in all his masked glory. His hands were gloved, and blinking the tears out of her swollen eye, Jennie noticed that he was holding something she couldn't quite make out.   
"Can you hurry up with that?". His voice was gruff.   
"I will soon", Lisa replied. "I enjoy making her suffer".  
"Well, make it quick, because we have other places to be".  
Lisa passed the gun into her other hand. "Fine".  
Jennie took the opportunity Lisa left open whilst in conversation with Chen to raise a hand and claw at her face, digging her nails deep into Lisa's flesh with all the power she could muster. Enraged, Lisa's hands flew to her face, presenting Jennie with another chance at gaining the upper hand in this situation. Scrambling for the gun that had skittered within arms reach, her fingers touched the cool metal just as Lisa rained slaps down on top of Jennie's already horribly marred visage, and as a spike of adrenaline flooded Jennie's veins, she bucked her hips to jostle Lisa and then proceeded to wrap both thighs around her assailant's thin frame, hindering Lisa's counter attack greatly. Jennie aimed the armament against Lisa's skull and she fired a bullet into her head, wincing when brain matter and blood spatter hailed down on top of her exposed neck and collarbone like a lumpy shower. Fluid, shards of bone and chunks of brain splashed up against the interior of the truck behind them too. Lisa's body went lifeless, and gagging, Jennie released the chokehold and crawled out from underneath the dying corpse, vomiting up bile and her lunch with ragged heaves. Her ribs throbbed with every palpitation her heart threw at it. The rancid stench of bloody remains clung to her clothing and, withholding another gag, she wiped herself down, backing into the side of the truck in shock. Her jaw and nose began to swell and she could feel the bruising spread with every agitated sniffle she did. The sound of someone entering the belly of the truck made her cower like an abandoned dog behind a stack of crates. Chen prowled the scene and upon seeing Lisa's dead body, he let out a roar that made Jennie's ears ring, before vanishing from earshot. Gripping her wounded side, Jennie lifted herself onto her knees and slithered towards the exit. The sound of car doors slamming followed by a screech of tyres on tarmac only spurred her on, desperate to return to her freedom before it slipped out of her grasp one more time. Voices shattered her fragile mind, and, suddenly overwhelmed she began to cry. The night air chilled her to the bone as she climbed out of the truck, finally standing to her full height. A wave of nausea grew intense inside her gut and keeling to the side she vomited a second time, the warm liquid splashing up onto her leggings and bare ankles for good measure. She could hear someone calling her name. Taehyung.  
"Tae", she rasped, unable to find her voice. His name died in her throat, coming out as a meek, incoherent squeal, much to her dismay. Taehyung came into view just at that moment, and Jennie stretched her pulverised jaw into a grin at the sight. Taehyung jogged towards her, almost in slow motion. Jennie took a step, and then she felt nothing as her legs dropped from underneath her and she collapsed to the ground. She became aware of a malignant human presence behind her right at that moment. The knife slid out of her form as she fell, curling up face down on the ground as her body gave up the fight. A warm, viscous fluid flowed steadily from the stab wound in her side, and blinking slowly, she could feel her life drain away, memory by memory, thought by thought. As the memories played like a movie behind her eyes, becoming more vivid the closer they got to the present moment, Jennie realised that there was never going to be an easy way out. A simple escape. This was her karma. Her karma for murdering Kai and Lisa. For taking them away from their families and the destructive lives they led. For ruining her own life all those years ago and for trusting Kai when her better judgement warned her about his intentions. This is what she deserved. Incapable of letting go of the misery. This warped misery that she craved so much, and how insatiable her hunger for it seemed to be. How she had been so easily manipulated into thinking that the life of an addict was all she'd ever amount to be. How fleeting her time was with Taehyung and the uncomfortable, the unshakeable sensation that she'd always be inadequate in his eyes, even thought he made regular attempts to convince Jennie otherwise. Jennie knew she was going to die, and even with exhausted, tear filled eyes she accepted the inevitable. Penance for all the mistakes she had made, and the degrading things she experienced in the name of her addiction. All the wide, gaping holes it had left deep in her psyche. Everything around her moved at snails pace. She could no longer see or hear anything. A heat soaked into her clothing, and the pain in her ribcage seemed to disappear as death came knocking on her door. Benumbed. Paralysed. Cold. 

*

"Yeah Hoseok", Taehyung said unto the phone. He stared around his bedroom one last time. The backpack at his feet was heavy with belongings and sentimental items that he had kept in his apartment since the day he moved in. Jennie's backpack lay on the divan beside him. Hoseok's voice grew louder as the conversation became heated, and Taehyung scratched at his overgrown beard scruff, having not washed his face in days. The apartment felt empty. Cold. Quiet.   
"I have to go now", he said, rubbing at his ear once th call had ended. The weight he felt in his chest was indescribable. His clothes stank of body odour. Slinging his bags over his broad shoulders Taehyung stepped into the hallway, glancing into the untidy kitchen one last time before leaving his apartment. Coffee mugs were piled high in the sink and the dishes had been left undone for days. Envelopes crumpled at his feet at the entrance, and frustrated he kicked them out of the way before dragging the door wide in one lazy movement. He couldn’t help the surge of emotion that overcame him just at that very second and uselessly he stood in the doorway, not moving. Residents in the neighbouring apartments emerged into the main corridor, casting puzzled glances Taehyung’s way when they caught sight of him. That was enough to snap him out of his stupor, and swallowing his grief, he made his way down towards the elevator, bags acting like the physical representation of his burden as he dropped to the ground floor, relentless in their avoirdupois. It began to rain gently just as he got to his car, and he wasted no time in chucking his baggage into the backseat and then sitting into the mess of blunt, burnt out cigarettes and litter. He pulled out of the car park and merged with the steady flow of traffic, keen to get out of town as soon as he could. The road stretched out ahead of him and he zoned in on the horizon, anxious yet confident in what and where it would leave him. The sign for Briarwood whizzed past him. There was nothing on the radio so instead he sat in silence. The thrum of his vehicle eating up the road the further he got from his hometown was enough to drown out the thoughts he didn’t, he refused to consider or think about. The bockety air conditioning stimulated unwanted tears to form in the corner of his eyes, and overcome with a case of mental exhaustion he let the tears fall, leaving streaks down his unkempt cheeks, drying into the coarse strands of his facial hair once they had no where else to go. He had another two hours of driving before he reached the next town, and putting the car into the highest gear he was adamant to make it in one. 

END


End file.
